May 6th, 2013
Russian Society of Shipping and Trade (ROPiT), coat of arms, Evpatoria, Crimea, photo: D.A. Krutikov
Black Sea Shipping Company- the oldest shipping company on the Black Sea, which begins its history during the time of the Russian Empire, when in 1833 the joint-stock Black Sea company of steamships was created to establish permanent relations between Russia and Ottoman empires... The main port of the shipping company is the city of Odessa. May 2013 marks the 180th anniversary of the founding of the Black Sea Shipping Company.
On May 16, 1833, with the support of M.S.Vorontsov, who became governor-general of Novorossiysk in 1823 and Minister of Finance E.F.Kankrin, Emperor Nicholas I approved the creation of a joint-stock company for a period of ten years to establish permanent communications between Odessa and Constantinople by means of steamers. This is how the "Black Sea Society of Steamships" was born - the founder of the Odessa Black Sea Shipping Company, and Odessa became the "southern sea window" of Russia to the West. (Denis Balukh, Alexander Surilov. Forgotten Odessa: historical sketches in two books. - Odessa: optimum, 2008.) It was decided that the joint-stock company's steamship flotilla would consist of three ships: the Neva and the Emperor Nikolay steamers built in Nikolaev and "Empress Alexandra". Of these, two steamers were supposed to be used for mail transport and one for towing Russian sailing ships in the Bosphorus. The direct organizer of the "Black Sea Society of Steamships" was the Odessa mayor, actual state councilor Alexei Iraklievich Levshin.
Odessa Marine Trading port, Cabotage harbor, motor ship "Bashkiria" 1989 year
In 1843, the "Black Sea Society of Steamships" was reorganized into the "Expedition of Permanent Steamship Communications of Odessa with Constantinople", which in 1845 merged with the "Commission of Novorossiysk Steamships" Black Sea lines, and received a new name: "Novorossiysk steamship expedition", abbreviated - Odessa expedition. The steamships of the Odessa expedition "Heir", "Mithridat", "Andiya", "Dargo", "Berdyansk", "Taganrog", "Peter the Great", "Taganrog" (iron), "Luba (iron)," Taman "(iron ), "Count Vorontsov" (iron), and others served the internal Black Sea and Azov lines. For the first Black Sea international steamship line Odessa - Constantinople in 1843, 4 steam frigates with steam engines with a capacity of 250 liters were ordered in England. from: "Odessa", "Chersonesos", "Crimea" and "Bessarabia". Their design was distinguished by increased reliability and allowed use for both commercial and military purposes. Until 1853, when the war with Turkey began, the steam frigates regularly served the "Novorossiysk Steamship Expedition", regularly transporting mail, passengers and trade cargo between Odessa and Constantinople under the packet flag, and going on voyages every ten days. During the Crimean War, they were re-armed and joined the detachment of steam frigates of the Black Sea Fleet, the sailors of which heroically showed themselves during the defense of Sevastopol and sank part of their ships, including the steamer regiments "Crimea", "Odessa", "Bessarabia" and the iron packet steam ship " Elborus "on the Sevastopol roadstead in August 1855, so that they would not fall to the enemy.
During the Crimean War, the Black Sea merchant fleet suffered losses: in particular, eight steam ships remained in good condition. Under the current conditions, the activities of the Odessa expedition did not resume. Instead, for the development of regular, or urgent, steamship traffic on the Black Sea in 1856, a joint-stock company was created on its basis: “ Russian Society Shipping and Trade "(ROPiT). (Stepanov D. A. Establishment of the Russian society of shipping and trade (1856-1857) // Bulletin of the Chelyabinsk State University. - 2011. - No. 22 (237). - Issue 46. History. - pp. 30-38.) Odessa main office of the society was located in former palace AND ABOUT. Vitta on st. Lanzheronovskaya, (Odessa sights: IO Vitt Palace: Description) a building currently owned by the Black Sea Shipping Company.
Odessa sea trade port, sea terminal, 1989,
The government issued a large loan to the ROPiT society and a five-year permit for duty-free purchase of ships abroad. In 1857 ROPiT bought five steamers in England, the first of which arrived in Odessa a passenger paddle steamer"Nikolay", a vessel capable of taking on board 200 passengers. In addition, ROPiT acquired from the Novorossiysk Steamship Expedition, which had ceased to operate, the vessels Khersones, Andiya, Dargo, Danube, Taganrog and Graf Vorontsov. After all the acquisitions, by the end of 1857, ROPiT possessed a fleet of 17 steamers, which allowed it not only to start an urgent steamship service guaranteed by the government between the Black Sea and Azov ports, but also to open the international line Odessa - Constantinople - Marseille.
In 1920, after the end of the civil war, about 5% of the ships remained from the merchant fleet on the Black Sea. Establishing ultimate control over the Black Sea coast, the Soviet government began to restore the merchant fleet.
On June 13, 1922, the Labor and Defense Council of the republic established in the system of the People's Commissariat of Railways the state shipping companies Baltic, Northern, Black Sea-Azov and Caspian, and entrusted the general management of their activities to the Central Board of Gostorgflot.
After the Great Patriotic War, in connection with the increase in traffic volumes, separate Black Sea, Azov and Georgian shipping companies were created. The base port of the Black Sea Shipping Company (ChMP) remained Odessa, where, in addition to the Odessa port, there was a shipyard.
On the eve of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Black Sea Shipping Company was the most powerful in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It consisted of about 300 ships of various classes. This number included: 21 passenger ships with a total capacity of 12 thousand passenger seats, serving 14 ocean and 20 domestic lines; 260 modern universal vessels of various classes, with a displacement of 5 million tons. It was the leading one in the USSR maritime fleet, which as of January 1, 1990 consisted of 17 shipping companies, 1,800 ships with a total deadweight of 22.4 million tons, 67 ports and 26 ship repair enterprises. (Grankov L. From the history of navigation // Marine fleet. - 2008. - № 2. - P. 68).
After the collapse of the USSR, the Black Sea Shipping Company (ChMP), together with the Azov Shipping Company (AMP) and the Sovetsikm Danube Shipping Company (SDP), were removed from the subordination of the allied Ministry of the USSR Marine Fleet and the USSR Ministry of River Fleet. The ChMP was transferred to the jurisdiction of the State Administration formed on January 2, 1992 sea transport Ukraine (Ukrmorflot), which became the legal successor of the USSR Ministry of the Navy on the territory of Ukraine. (On the establishment of the State Administration of Maritime Transport of Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Resolution of January 2, 1992 No. 4.) Ukrmorflot disposed of the property of the ChMP jointly with the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU). The regulation on Ukrmorflot was approved by the Council of Ministers of Ukraine on February 18, 1992. According to clause 7 (c), Ukrmorflot received the right to: “change flags, sell, mortgage ships in agreement with the State Property Fund of Ukraine in order to obtain loans to finance fleet replenishment programs”. (Regulations on the State Administration of Maritime Transport of Ukraine. Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Resolution of February 18, 1992 No. 76.). +
Data on the composition of the NMP and assessments of its state for 1991 differ. According to information available from the open press, as of 1991, the ChMP included 234 cargo, passenger and other classes of vessels with a total deadweight of 4167 thousand tons, most of which consisted of operational readiness. ChMP ended 1991 with a profit of 270 million rubles and foreign exchange earnings of 788 million dollars. On the other hand, there was the question of updating the fleet, since in 1992 29 units were scheduled for write-off, and in total until 2000 - about 120. (Leonid Kapelyushny. Optimistic tragedy, or the history of "Blasko-ChMP" in revision tales , official documents and publicistic passions and sufferings // Mirror of Ukraine. - 1994 .-- October 21.).
The capacities of the Black Sea Shipping Company were created primarily to serve the needs of the centralized, planned economy of the USSR. After the destruction of the single economic complex that had developed in the USSR in 1991, the ChMP found itself in a difficult financial situation. Already in December 1992, the total debt of the ChMP on loans amounted to $ 170 million, in the same year 28 ships were written off. In the current economic situation, in order to avoid downtime of the courts, the Prime Minister of Ukraine L.D. Kuchma proposed to transfer ships to offshore intermediary companies with their subsequent registration in a foreign jurisdiction to use the ChMP, which is idle without freight, and the merchant and passenger fleet of the ChMP. President of Ukraine L.M. Kravchuk approved this proposal. According to press reports, in 2013 he recognized this decision as erroneous. (Kravchuk took the blame for the collapse of the Ukrainian merchant fleet. Korrespondent.net, February 3, 2013.)
On February 17, 1993 Ukrmorflot was liquidated, and ChMP came under the leadership of the newly created Ministry of Transport of Ukraine (1992-2004). (Issues of the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine. Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Resolution of February 17, 1993 No. 106.)
On August 13, 1993, by the decree of the President of Ukraine L. Kravchuk, the shipping concern "Blasko - Black Sea Shipping Company" was created in the form of an open joint stock company. (On the establishment of the joint-stock shipping concern "Blasco" - "Black Sea Shipping Company", Decree of the President of Ukraine dated 13.08.1993 No. 303/93.)
P. V. Kudyukin was appointed president of the concern, who replaced V. V. Pilipenko at the head of the ChMP. According to the decree, "Blasco" became the legal successor of all movable and immovable property of the Black Sea Shipping Company in Ukraine and abroad.
On December 24, 1993, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine suspended the process of corporatization of the Black Sea Shipping Company and vetoed the presidential decree. In response, L. Kravchuk issued a new decree confirming the authority of the leadership of "Blasco - ChMP". (On the joint-stock shipping concern "Blasco" - "Black Sea Shipping Company", Decree of the President of Ukraine dated 28.12.1993 No. 606/93). Both Leonid Kravchuk's decrees were in turn canceled in January 1995 by Leonid Kuchma, who became the President of Ukraine. (On recognizing as invalid the Decrees of the President of Ukraine of August 13, 1993 N 303 and of December 28, 1993 N 606, Decree of the President of Ukraine of January 24, 1995 No. 77/95.) On January 27, 1994, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine decided to start an audit of the Black Sea shipping companies. An investigative deputy commission was created under the leadership of the former prosecutor of the Primorsky district of Odessa, people's deputy Yu.A. Karamzin.
As of January 1993, the ChMP had 227 vessels, but 160 of them were scattered offshore around the world. The first arrests of the courts began on various, often far-fetched, pretexts: 11 of them were missing. After the transformation of ChMP into a joint stock company, destructive tendencies intensified. Interest on loans grew, the incomes of Blasco - ChMP were hidden and transferred to offshore banks. As a result, a criminal case was opened against P.V. Kudyukin and he was convicted of implementing what turned out to be an erroneous plan to transfer ships to intermediary companies.
In 1995, when the company's fleet consisted of 216 vessels, A.V. Koval came to its leadership, who never figured out where they were taken cash and ships, and also lost another 30 pennants. The mechanisms launched by his predecessors continued to consume the company's funds and ships. In the same 1995, the next leader was appointed A. M. Stognenko; ChMP fleet was reduced to 186 pennants; new loans were taken, which were already unrealistic to return, and, as a result, there was a wave of arrests of ships of the ChMP all over the world: in 1995-1997 the company lost 171 ships. As of January 1998, there are 15 pennants left.
In July 2004, the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine, which carried out general management over the ChMP, was reorganized into the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Ukraine.
For 2004, the company had 6 ships and 17 outstanding loans for $ 11 million. In 2005, the losses of GSK "ChMP" amounted to half a million dollars.
In 2006, a reorganization procedure was introduced in the State Insurance Company "ChMP".
In 2008 the Black Sea Shipping Company celebrated its 175th anniversary from the date of its foundation. On the eve of the anniversary, the Minister of Transport and Communications of Ukraine K. Efimenko announced the need for the prosecutor's office to check the legality of the alienation of the ChMP's property. He called the bankruptcy procedure of the ChMP "unmotivated" and leading to the withdrawal from state control of the enterprise, the book value of the property of which is over UAH 500 million. As a result, according to K. Efimenko, state property is alienated for a pittance by creating artificial debts. In his statement, the minister called to prevent the liquidation of the Black Sea Shipping Company. (Minister of Transport and Communications of Ukraine Konstantin Efimenko will not allow the liquidation of the Black Sea Shipping Company. Online archive of the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine.)
In December 2010, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Ukraine was once again reorganized, and the ChMP was subordinated to the State Service of Maritime and river transport now the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine. As of today, the ChMP fleet has been reduced to one pennant
The procedure of reorganization of GSK "ChMP" continues.
that's what he writes Anatoly Foka, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Marine Chief Engineer
Nostalgic washings about the lost fleet
The problems of the Ukrainian fleet after the restoration of the statehood of Ukraine in 1991, in fact, differed little from the problems of other sectors of the economy, which had previously been of all-Union significance. In the very first months, we were all in the euphoria of independence, believing that now the whole world will stand in line for all types of cooperation with us and obtaining all forms of our products. Our politically active guys did not even suspect that a fierce struggle for a place in the sun is constantly going on in the world market and only with an excellent reputation, confirmed for decades, can we hope for success. And since we inherited from the USSR such an energy-intensive and low-quality production of all types of products (excluding means for the destruction of humanity, where we were ahead of the rest of the planet), it turned out that we are absolutely unnecessary in the civilized world.
Severed stable economic ties with countries the former USSR(the last hope for the sale of wretched products). Illiterate political bawlers and adventurers of all stripes rushed into the economy. Least of all anyone was interested in the issue of lack of professionalism.
Opponents of Ukraine's formation as a politically and economically independent state very quickly woke up from the shock. With a variety of ultimate goals, they amicably united in a fairly powerful coalition and began their destructive activities. Basically, this fifth column consisted of:
- Left parties of all types, from the pink socialists to the red-brown Bolsheviks. By any means they wanted to restore their lost unlimited power over the people, returning us to the state of mindlessly chewing and uncomplainingly working cattle;
- supporters of the restoration of a single and indivisible Soviet empire (at least on the basis of Great Russia), when it was possible, having received the blessing of Moscow, to feel like a complete master "to the very outskirts", not giving a damn about culture, language, national traditions these very outskirts, cracking down on any dissent under the pretext of uprooting "nationalism", expelling to Siberia both individual cultural figures and families of opponents of the system, and, if necessary, entire nations. And in the "closest to us" Russia, an old dream was promoted with might and main - to wash your tarpaulin boots in the waters Indian Ocean, sitting next to the bare heels of the friendly people of India;
- and, of course, thieves of all stripes and ranks, from ordinary racketeers to (as the sad experience has shown) prime ministers. This category always strives to destroy any system, realizing that in conditions of political and economic instability it is so easy to put a hand into the people's pocket!
In such conditions, the united action of destructive forces, an attempt to develop the economy is practically doomed to failure. And if you take into account that such an industry as the navy was never controlled by the republican administration, it becomes obvious that the further existence of the fleet should have consisted of only one problem.
And so the first mention of the Ukrainian navy appeared. The then Prime Minister V. Fokin publicly declared: “And what about that fleet for us? If there is a need to transport, then two chapels will be hired and transported! "
When I heard this statement, I was afraid for the fate of our fleet. And the point is not only that the Prime Minister signed his unprofessionalism and even simple ignorance, not realizing that the service sector (which includes transport) is an eternal activity (as opposed to the mining or processing industry) and makes a profit with practically no negative consequences for the country (destruction of resources, environmental pollution, etc.). Japan, the poorest in resources, has risen on services and high technologies. Both yesterday and today there is a continuous struggle for the right to own transport lines in the world. And then suddenly such economic "discoveries". The worst thing for me was that when the anti-state policy was publicly announced, none of the numerous ministers and members of the Verkhovna Rada objected with a single word. What is this - the ignorance of those in power or conscious support for the collapse of the country's economy?
Rather, both. And then it became clear to us, professionals, who have devoted their whole lives to working at sea, that the fleet is doomed.
This became clear to other persons (also well versed in the activities of the fleet), they understood that the green light was open to the complete plunder of sea transport.
The most powerful blow to the fleet came when the “reed captain” Pilipenko was at the head of one of the world's largest shipping companies, the Black Sea Shipping Company. Having lost his reputation after the active support of the Moscow putsch (GKChP), he was looking for ways to preserve his career by any means and tried to prove by deeds his loyalty to patrons in Moscow. To a large extent, this was facilitated by the incompetence and corruption of Kiev officials - the money earned by the sailors of the Black Sea Shipping Company, which was not controlled by the state, disappeared right and left.
Who just at this time did not ride on the ships of the ChMP, receiving a salary at the rates of the senior command staff of the ships or other kinds of monetary and material benefits!
The trip of veterans of the fleet to Istanbul was memorable. The pensioners were brought to a picnic in Turkey on an old passenger ship, given a drink and taken (not quite alive and well) to Odessa, where they had to express their gratitude to the head of the shipping company (look how he respects and loves sailors!).
High city medical officials also rode (receiving the salary of senior assistants), successfully studying the acutely urgent problem of the breeding of cockroaches in the ports of India for Ukraine.
Targeted tours of important dignitaries have been successfully carried out, for example, with a guaranteed opportunity to buy cars in Japan. So, on the motor ship "Mechanic Dren" five senior mechanics went to China for repairs. Of course, a full-time senior mechanic was engaged in repairs, and the rest (wow, how respected in Odessa the public!) Received the same salary and, for what they rushed to these distant countries, the dream of all Soviet sailors is travel. And then the route of this vessel lay (as agreed with the management of the shipping company) to Japan, where the planned final goal of the entire operation - the purchase of cars - was successfully achieved.
And how spectacular Odessa journalists looked on foreign tours! Also being listed as backup crew members (which made it possible to receive a decent salary in foreign currency at the expense of the shipping company), they not only asked tricky questions to Comrade Pilipenko with affection, but they themselves extremely cleverly and professionally answered them to the approving nods of the hospitable host.
And what a clever move was when they began to pay part of the salary to the management staff of the ChMP in foreign currency. Here, even former opponents and envious people are imbued with respect for the leadership.
And now, under the laudatory chorus (after successful business tours) of the most honest and respected part of the population - deputies of all levels, under the voice of the people (honored pensioners), under the approval of fellow managers (a demonstration of unity in the shipping company), an excellent opportunity arose to steal the fleet. After all, the majority mentioned above (at all levels) supported the leaders of the ChMP. And only those who earned money for the shipping company (it was supposed - for the state) - the sailors were not happy. But they were at sea, but the one who took away the state money was here, nearby and at the necessary moment could speak in the press, in parliament, wherever it was necessary to support the embezzlers who were already openly plundering the country.
Apparently, Kiev officials were indifferent to this state of affairs. They were told tales at all levels, proving the inexpediency of maintaining the fleet. The fact that the existence of the fleet did not cause not only any economic interests in those in power (due to their lack of professionalism), but also political ones, is proved by the fact that the Ukrainian fleet was sailing for a long time under the flag of a non-existent state - the USSR, and officials were fooled by stories that changing the flag has to incur great costs. And this ignorant bureaucratic tribe calmly watched that such an operation - passing under the national flag - had long been carried out in all other countries of the former USSR - in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia. And for some reason there was enough money! They also fooled illiterate officials with stories that the names of the ships should be written in Russian, despite the fact that there were ships nearby with names in Indian, in Arabic script, with Chinese or Japanese hieroglyphs. After all, how do they know that to identify the vessel, a name in English is required, and write everything else in Nogai!
Realizing the lack of competence of the Kiev officials, the sea embezzlers quickly began to create an atmosphere of unprofitability of our shipping companies (and sometimes even bankruptcy). Fewer and fewer of our ships began to call at Ukrainian ports, more and more cargo operations were carried out in the ports of foreign countries (with the excellent condition of our ports), ship repairs were carried out at foreign bases (with cheap and fairly good-quality work of our shipyards), bunkering of ships took place in foreign ports (despite the fact that the cost of fuel at that time in our country was very, very low).
Such an approach in solving transport problems made it possible to shift all monetary operations (receipt of earned money, expenses for repairs, fuel, maintenance) to foreign banks, depriving Ukraine of control over the operation of its fleet, over cash flows and, thus, the possibility of replenishing its treasury, but at the same time, providing the opportunity for a very free run of thieves' hands into the state pocket.
This is where the shipping company chief's gold credit cards, personal green Mercedes and other attributes appeared, which so harmoniously fit into the activities of yesterday's honest and loyal party employees, and today - respected and active figures of independent Ukraine.
The process of destruction of the Ukrainian fleet with the transfer of ships to Sovcomflot flourished. At this point, the imagination of the crooks knew no bounds! On the one hand, Comrade Pilipenko loudly announced that we would be suing for the illegal seizure of our ships in each case (and our share in Sovcomflot was 17%), and on the other hand, without hesitation (and unnecessary statements), we gave a series of bulk carriers , which brought the shipping company about 25% of the profit.
The most elementary and one hundred percent used in the USSR) passenger ships like Fyodor Dostoevsky and Maxim Gorky had to explain something to the public. And this was done very simply - cheeks puffed out and it was loudly announced that in this case we would definitely sue our liners from Russia. And they believed it. Since these ships were chartered by German travel agencies, the naive Germans, believing in the sincerity and decency of the leaders of the Ukrainian fleet, immediately offered the services of their maritime lawyers. But the management of the shipping company turned out to be not so simple - after all, there was a real threat that the Germans would really sue. Therefore, these stupid Germans were told that everything will be done by our own lawyers. And so it turned out. We did everything to ensure that the ships finally left for Russia. And when I (already working in Germany as the chief mechanic of m / v Astor - our former "Fyodor Dostoevsky") listened to this story from German specialists who participated in negotiations with the shipping company, I could not catch what was more in their speech - indignation from the arrogance of our swindlers or surprise from our stupidity. Although there were instructions for the captains to follow to the ports of Russia, after which the ships acquired a new name, a new flag and a new ship owner.
Of course, when transmitting such well-known (luchno with others (as our time also shows), it harmonizes perfectly.
By the arrival of the next head of the shipping company, the general robbery was completed. Of the 360 ships that existed before the arrival of Pilipenko, only 239 remained. The rest (of course, the best ones) had already been taken away without any complications.
The next leapfrog of the heads of this once largest shipping company in the USSR was already in the nature of sophistication in the theft of money and ships. There were jailings, there were layoffs, but only one thing remained a firm line - a decrease in the size of the fleet. At the same time, there was a steady trend towards the emergence of new shipowners in Greece, Cyprus, for some reason, leading roots from the families and relatives of the former chiefs of the ChMP.
Especially fatty fish began to be caught in the murky waters of arrests of ships for the debts of the shipping company.
By this time, the whole world already understood that there should be limited liability in business. Regarding the fleet, it looked like splitting large companies into a number of small ones (without changing the actual ownership of the ships, but getting only other details), responsible for any accident or other damage by only one ship. The result was a firm like "Horns and Hooves", when it was possible to arrest only the office tables and imprison the sitz chairman of Pound.
But the representatives of the fifth column understood perfectly well that with such an approach, especially with the destruction of the fleet, you would not turn around, and it would be difficult to steal ships. Therefore, to the end, they kept all the ships in one shipping company, quite correctly understanding that for some meager debt of a small tug (owned by ChMP) the liner Taras Shevchenko (also owned by ChMP) would be arrested, causing huge losses, both material and moral - we lose our earnings and the authority of the ship owner is undermined by potential charterers - travel agencies.
And how amazingly the process of selling ships was arranged! As the knowledgeable experts said, at that glorious time for two boxes of whiskey it was possible in Kiev to write off any ship, recognizing it as unprofitable.
Thus, the motor ship "Dmitry Poluyan" was put up for sale abroad (in Malta) at the price of scrap metal. And when one of the potential buyers got on the ship (this local ship owner thought so naively of himself), after a cursory examination of the ship, he immediately offered the amount three times more. But he ran into the wrong ones! He was told: “My dear, go to Odessa, talk to such and such an official in the shipping company and agree on everything. And only then we will formalize the sale of the vessel ”.
The sophisticated mind of the embezzler found the most unexpected solutions. So, my friend, the captain, was ferrying a dry cargo ship (m / v "Pula" type) to Greece for sale. It seemed obvious that a well-rolled scheme would work - the ship would be sold for some convenient amount for everyone (except for the state), and the business would be over. But it was not there!
On its last voyage (as part of the Ukrainian fleet), the vessel went bypassing all the main ports of the Black Sea. Various kinds of new equipment (spare parts, mechanisms, fittings, devices) were taken from the warehouses. And then (already under the cover of customs), all this was legally exported abroad, as spare parts belonging to this ship, and sold. And any amateur will understand that for such a simple operation they put in their pocket much more money than the state received for the ship as a whole.
And what a beautiful operation, precisely calculated for the incompetence of the capital's boobies (with the material heating of their interest), turned out to be the operation for the sale of gas carriers "Lensovet", "Mossovet" and "Smolny". The most expensive ships in the ChMP, bringing fabulous profits, suddenly turned out to be unprofitable. And this is in the presence of ideal conditions for sea transport: its own cargo manufacturing plant (chemical plant in the port of Yuzhny), a stable, permanent transport line between Ukraine and the United States (under the auspices of Hammer himself), extremely low crew costs (compared to European ), the minimum cost of ship repair (since it is produced at the shipyards of the shipping company).
And for the new Greek ship owner, who works in conditions of constant search for cargo, new lines, pays crews at the rates of the International Federation of Trade Unions, pays for repairs at expensive European shipyards, these ships turned out to be profitable then. And one can only imagine the level of their profitability then, if even now, after a decade and a half, they continue to generate income for the owner of the order of three million dollars a month. And what happened then - during their heyday? And how profitable this operation turned out to be for its participants!
These are the losses that cost the young state the high professionalism of our swindlers and the corruption of incompetent city officials.
Of course, with such a powerful destruction of the fleet of the Black Sea Shipping Company, the collapse of the other shipping companies is only a repetition of the past.
For the Azov Shipping Company, the "brothers" of the former head of the motor depot in Donetsk took over. And for today everything that can be pumped out.
The Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company is in the stage of agony. But it went through the hardest times of the Yugoslav crisis, when, due to the destruction of bridges across the Danube, some of the ships worked in the area from bridges and below, and the second - from bridges and above. And the shipping company survived. Of course then river vessels for our large sharks of the marine criminal business - a small fish, but having stolen large ships in the ChMP, they did not disdain the river fleet. And no matter how the president of UDP PS Suvorov tried to defend the interests of the shipping company (and, naturally, the sailors), the destructive forces turned out to be stronger.
And now, with all the conversations in parliament about professionalism in management, the shipping company is headed by specialists from the "largest sea region" of the country - the Luhansk region!
It is clear to us, the specialists of the navy, that the removal of the body has taken place.
And I will remind you about the ships - the pride of the USSR: and The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from is
Photo relic from the ChMP archive: 1962. The ChMP ship delivers cargo to Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis. An American fighter is flying over it from the Guantanamo base.
Thousands of sailors need a documentary memory of the shipping company. During the years of their naval work, the archive of this shipping company was located in the Baskomflot building.
The order of business, established in this huge warehouse, was considered exemplary for the whole country. But not everyone knows that it has been deployed on Primorskaya Street, 11/13 for more than 10 years. And it is located in a long one-story building in the courtyard where the famous "Dubner" courses were once located of English language... This is also indicated by the plywood attached above the door with the handwritten pencil inscription "ARCHIVE".
Finding it, perhaps, is all the more difficult because the building located parallel to it, facing Primorskaya, has been transferred to someone's property. New owner as far as he could, he transformed it into a hotel, but money became tight for him. A courtyard with piles of abandoned construction waste looks scary for a visitor. But you don't have to work your feet looking for the archive: the necessary certificate from it will be sent to the sailor by mail!
The written answer to the editorial inquiry, what is the procedure for obtaining certificates in the ChMP archive, was signed by the General Director of the ChMP GSK I. Yu. Belov. On the company's letterhead it is printed that "All necessary certificates are issued according to the established model and within the specified period in accordance with the legislation in force in Ukraine."
Usually, former employees of the shipping company, including veterans of the fleet, need certificates of salary or in order to "break through" social benefits for themselves. The type of certificate is indicated in the application... It is written in the name general director GSK ChMP I.Yu. Belova.
Further: from whom, that is, write your last name, first name and patronymic. Next, write your address and phone number. All this is in the upper left corner of the sheet.
Next is a standard sample application:
“To apply for a preferential pension, please provide me with a certificate of work (salary). He worked as a sailor (waiter, 2nd mechanic, chief officer - in a word, indicate the position) from such and such to such and such a year (say, from 1980 to 1987) on a ship (indicate its name, for example " Berezovka "or" Matsesta "). I am enclosing a copy of the work book in duplicate and a copy of the passport in duplicate.
Number. Signature".
Next, send the package by registered mail with notification. At the address: st. Lanzheronovskaya, 1. Odessa. 65026. GMK ChMP. Office.
The answer from the archive also comes by mail, as a rule, no later than a month later. The service is free of charge!
The intensity of the issuance of certificates is high: letters with requests of this kind are received daily. Moreover, the office of the shipping company claims that "none of the appeals was left without attention and consideration." Responsibility is emphasized by the words “if you know of cases when certificates were not issued, or their issuance is unreasonably delayed, please inform or send copies of the application / complaint. An official investigation will be conducted on these facts ”.
The complexity of the situation is that the construction businessman intends to take the one-story archive building and the entire courtyard from the shipping company in order to turn it into hotel... Most likely, the repository will have to move from Primorskaya, 11/13.
- It seems that for this the ChMP bosses found a room on Peresyp, - they say in the State Archives Odessa region on Zhukovskogo, 14. Part of the materials from the ChMP archive is already being transferred to its shelves. So far, only "constant" is accepted, that is, documents on the main labor activity of the enterprise, for example, orders of interest to National economy, and therefore stored indefinitely.
And the personal files of the ChMP workers, in particular, of the same crew, salary statements, orders for enrollment and transfer from ship to ship are supposed to be saved for up to 75 years. (Here please: not to be confused with ship rolls, which are kept in the capitals of the ports).
75 years is the longest life span for documents of temporary storage to confirm the employee's seniority. The storage time can be, for example, 10, 20 years or 1 year, depending on the significance of the document. Then the commission draws up an act of liquidation, and the materials are burned.
From the doors of the archive room in the courtyard, the smell of dampness and old papers emanates. It looks like there is no ventilation. This spoils the documents. And, perhaps, the affairs of the sailors should even be transferred to a more reliable storage place. This could be the city Department of archives and office work on the street. Stolbovaya, 17. But so far, a small part of the materials have been transported to the street. Pirogovskaya, 29 in the former party archive. The relevance of such a transfer will increase sharply if the ChMP changes the state form of ownership to private ownership.
For those who carried weapons
Often, misunderstandings, and sometimes even discontent with archivists, arise due to the fact that sailors turn to the archives for confirmation of their status as a "participant in hostilities." But this is not part of the functions of the steamship archive! And it is the parish of the Commission of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine on the consideration of materials on the appointment of participants in hostilities, created by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 16 of January 13, 1995.
According to clause 2 of article 6 of the Law of Ukraine "On the status of war veterans, guarantees of their social protection", the workers (in particular, sailors) who worked in the countries where the hostilities were taking place were recognized as participants in hostilities. And also if they themselves participated in these hostilities, or provided the combat activities of the troops. Easier, as they said in the ChMP, carried weapons to ports where the war was going on. And where did they really shoot!
The list of such countries and periods when it was recognized that hostilities were fought on their territories was approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 63 of February 8, 1994. There were seven changes to it. The last number 744 is dated June 17, 2009.
So, only those who were in the composition of the crews on the ships of the ChMP can be considered participants in hostilities. For example, in Algeria from 1962 to 1964. In Angola from November 1975 to November 1979. In Bangladesh from 1972 to 1973. Further - in Vietnam, Ethiopia, Egypt (United Arab Republic) and other countries. A complete list of them, along with dates, is attached to the Resolution.
Crusader Coin Ancient coins are of great value as a source of information about the past times. The spirit, the aroma of those eras that will never return, is concentrated in them. Touching an old coin, a person is, as it were, transported into the past. I experienced a similar feeling when I first took in my hands a medieval crusader coin - a penny of the county of Tripoli. The campaigns of the knights in Palestine, pursuing the goal of liberating Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulcher from the Muslims, and their founding of Christian states in the Eastern Mediterranean, had a strong influence on the development of the medieval world. In the "Latin East", in Palestine and Syria, the crusaders in the XI-XIII centuries created four states - the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Principality of Antioch, the Edessa county and the Tripoli county. All of them minted their own coins, in the images and inscriptions of which European, Islamic and Byzantine elements of design were mixed. Swimming practice on the steamer "Malakhov Kurgan" ended at the end of August 1967. The last port of call was the Syrian Latakia. This city, like the one located to the south of Beirut, practically did not suffer from the "Six Day War", peace and tranquility reigned here, active business and trade activities were carried out. At the request of the first mate, the ship's agent arranged for the crew bus tour on ancient city... There were enough funds for the event in the ship's cultural fund, and they should have been spent on the current voyage so as not to be deposited for the future. At the appointed time, an excursion bus drove up to the ship's board and the crew members, free from watches and work, set off on an exciting journey. - The history of Latakia dates back to ancient times. - began the story of a young guide Fatima, a graduate student of the Faculty of Humanities at Damascus University. - The city was founded by the Phoenicians and named Ramita. The commander of Alexander the Great, Seleucus I, renamed the policy in honor of his mother, calling it Laodicea. In the Middle Ages, Latakia, as well as throughout the Middle East, was alternately ruled by Arabs, crusaders, Egyptian and Ottoman sultans. The guide showed the well-preserved Roman buildings - the Tetrapylon city arch and the remains of the antique colonnade, as well as several Christian churches of the Byzantine period and medieval Muslim mosques. After visiting the historical sites, the bus made a stop at the popular Shatt al-Azraq beach, which translates as “ Cote d'Azur“. At the end of the excursion, the guide gave the sailors an hour of free time so that they could shop at the city bazaar - a bitch. In search of a memorable souvenir about Latakia, I came across an antique shop, where in a heap of old rubbish I noticed a small silver object of a round shape. - Is it a coin? I asked the owner. - Yes. Crusader coin. - he answered. The Arab merchant liked the camera hanging on my shoulder. - Let's change: I give you a coin, you give me a camera. On the eve of the flight at the Dynamo store on the street Soviet army(now Preobrazhenskaya) for 12 rubles I bought a simple Smena camera. I planned to photograph the first meetings with abroad. The voyage was coming to an end, and this task was practically completed. After buying the gifts, there was no money left and, in order not to miss an interesting coin, he agreed to the Arab's proposal. Returning to the ship, he began to study his acquisition with the help of the catalog. The reference book said that the denomination of my coin was a penny, minted in the Middle Eastern city of Tripoli around 1275-1287. More detailed information hoped to get already in Odessa from an experienced specialist in medieval numismatics, professor P.O. Karyshkovsky. With the return of the ship from the voyage, I went to the history department of Odessa University, where the professor was in charge of the department of history the ancient world and the Middle Ages. - That's right, the seller did not deceive you - this is a coin of the Crusaders. - said Pyotr Osipovich. The professor knew Latin well and easily translated the legends on the coin. - On the obverse there is the name of the issuer “SEPTIMVS BOEMVNDVS” - Bohemond VII, and on the reverse the place of the minting “CIVITAS TRIPOLIS SVRIE“ - the State of Tripoli in Syria. - But Tripoli is not in Syria, but in Lebanon. I asked. - That's right, it is now, but in the Middle Ages, the borders between states were different. The name of the mint is indicated in order not to confuse the Syrian Tripoli with the city of the same name in northern Africa. - And what do the images on the coin mean? - A cross in an openwork frame on the face of a penny is not only a symbol of the Christian faith, but at the same time the coat of arms of the county of Tripoli. The three fortress towers on the back are part of the Crusader castle. - answered the professor. Karyshkovsky explained which fortress, in his opinion, is depicted on the coin. Some numismatists believe that this is the famous citadel of the Krak des Chevaliers, the stronghold of the Hospitaller Order in Syria. But the professor was of a different opinion. - The castle of Krak de Chevalier was not part of the jurisdiction of the county of Tripoli, and therefore could not be depicted on the Tripolitanian coin. I believe that the reverse of this penny depicts the towers of the Château Saint-Gilles fortress, which was located in the city of Tripoli, the capital of the county of the same name. This castle was named after Count Raymond of Saint-Gilles, leader of the First crusade and the founder of the fortress. By the way, this fortress has been well preserved to this day. - said Pyotr Osipovich. The professor gave comprehensive information on the history of my coin and the tragic fate of the state that minted it. The county of Tripoli arose in the north of modern Lebanon during the First Crusade. After the capture of the cities of Byblos and Tripoli by the army of Raymond Saint-Gilles, Count of Toulouse, and the conquest of Beirut and Sidon by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem, the entire coast of Phenicia, as well as a significant part mountainous areas countries at the beginning of the XII century were in the hands of the crusaders. Primorsky and mountainous areas north of Byblos became part of the county of Tripoli, and Beirut and Sidon became vassals of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Under Count Boemunde VI, the state of Tripoli in 1268 began minting its own coins - grosso. The Earl and his successor Bohemond VII issued silver coins of two denominations - a penny and a half penny. The average weight of a penny was 4.2 g, while for half a penny it ranged from 1.9 - 2.1 g. At the beginning of his reign, Bohemond VII minted coins that were almost indistinguishable from his father's grosso, but the fineness of silver in them was lower. The county of Tripoli existed for nearly two centuries - from 1105 to 1289. After the death of Bohemund VI in 1275, civil strife broke out in the state. The elite of society split into two camps, in one were the widow of Count Sibylla and secular chivalry led by the young and hot Bohemond VII, in the other - Bishop William of Tripoli and his supporters, who were supported by the Knights Templar. Bohemond VII seized the residence of the Order of the Templars in Tripoli and with his own hand killed the Genoese governor, an ally of the "Templars" with a dagger. Under Bohemond VII, the crusaders no longer fought with the Muslims, but preferred to buy peace with them for money. The conclusion of a peace treaty with Sultan Baybars cost the county of Tripoli 20 thousand gold bezants. Bohemond VII was childless, and after his death in 1287, the new ruler of Tripoli, named Lucia, came into conflict with the city commune. The head of the commune turned to the Mamluk Sultan Calaun for help. The Grand Master of the Knights Templar Guillaume de Beauje warned the inhabitants of Tripoli about the danger, but they did not believe it. Kaelown's army took the city by surprise, the Mamluks broke into the county capital and street fighting ensued. The Templar commander Pierre de Moncada had the opportunity to escape on a gallery sailing to Cyprus, but chose to stay in Tripoli and died with a sword in his hands, like the rest of the city's defenders. So in 1289 the history of the county of Tripoli ended tragically. - If I were asked to name the most beautiful coin minted by the Crusaders in the Holy Land, I would choose Bohemund VII's Tripolitan penny. - summed up his story Karyshkovsky. - The design of the coin amazes with its austere beauty, laconism and expressiveness. Today this small coin on the European numismatic market is worth good money- 300 euros and more. It is also dear to me as a memory of my swimming practice on the steamer "Malakhov Kurgan" and my first acquaintance with foreign countries.
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Four German liners, which the USSR also got for reparations from Nazi Germany, became a remarkable replenishment of the Black Sea Passenger Shipping Company. The first to arrive on the Black Sea liner "Victory", who already on April 15, 1947 left Odessa on his maiden voyage to the Crimea-Caucasus line.
The history of this liner began back in 1928 at the shipyard in Danzig. The ship received its first name - "Rio Magdalena". Commissioning of the liner took place on December 14, 1928, and on December 29 "Magdalena" set off on its maiden voyage from Hamburg to the West Indies. The vessel was painted in traditional Narag colors - black hull and white superstructures. For solidity, the liner had two smokers, but during a major overhaul in Hamburg, they were replaced with one wide pipe. The total (gross) tonnage of the vessel was 9779 gross tonnage, The length of the hull reached 148.1 m, width - 18.5 m, draft - 10.5 m. Two eight-cylinder diesel engines from the Schihau company had a total power of 6800 hp. and provided a full speed of 15 knots, working on two four-blade propellers. Overhaul and refurbishment lasted from May 28, 1934 to February 1935, and the ship was named "Iberia" after leaving the repair. The motor ship could take on board 123 passengers of the 1st class, 102 - of the 2nd class, 106 - of the 3rd class. The ship's crew was 177 people.
During the Second World War, the liner spent in Gotenhafen (Kiel), was used by the Kriegsmarine as a base ship for German submarines. The USSR liner was handed over for reparations on February 18, 1946 and crossed to the Black Sea under its own power. The motor ship received a new name - "Victory". In September 1948, after leaving Batumi, a fire broke out on the ship with numerous casualties, and the Chinese Marshal Feng Yu Xiang and his family were also killed. All forty dead passengers and two crew members were buried at the memorial of the 2nd Odessa Christian cemetery. The coffin with the body of Marshal Feng Yu Xiang was sent by plane to Moscow, where he was cremated. After the accident, the ship was repaired in Wismar (Germany) until 1950, after which the updated Pobeda returned to the Black Sea, to its native Crimean-Caucasian line. The demoted and visa-deprived sailors called the Crimean-Kalym line. And ordinary passengers simply adored the trip from Odessa to Batumi and back. For some small money, they plunged into another world - travel and adventures, southern nights and love affairs. Even if you were completely broke, you could buy a deck ticket, one night on a sun lounger on the deck, if you didn't have enough charm to get a better job, and you're already in Yalta, or one more night - and you're in Sochi ... Pobeda had the most beautiful two-tiered mahogany restaurant among passenger ships.
And also "Victory" starred in a feature film. Together with the motor ship "Russia" she starred in the comedy of Leonid Gaidai - " The Diamond Arm» how passenger ship"Mikhail Svetlov", heading for a cruise on the route Leningrad - Odessa - Leningrad, with a stopover in Istanbul. It is on the deck of "Victory" that Andrei Mironov sings a song about the Island of Bad Luck. The liner was operated until 1977, and then was sold abroad for scrap.
The motor ship "Russia" was considered the flagship of the passenger fleet of the Black Sea Shipping Company. All Odessa residents of the older generation remember the famous liner... The diesel-electric ship was built in Hamburg (Germany). The vessel was launched on January 15, 1938 and it received the name "Patria". The Patria was the largest diesel-electric passenger ship in the world at the time.
On August 27, 1938, the liner embarked on its first regular flight from Hamburg through the Panama Canal to west coast South America. With the outbreak of World War II, "Patria" moved to Stettin, where it remained until 1942 as a floating barracks. Then the ship was transferred to a dock in the port of Flensburg, where it continued to be used as a floating base for the Navy. After Hitler's death, in early May 1945, the German imperial government headed by Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz was located on the liner. Then the British liked the liner, underwent repairs at the Belfast shipyard and was used for military transport under the name "Empire Welland". In February 1946, the liner was handed over for reparations to the Soviet Union and in the same year, under the new name "Russia", made a flight from Liverpool to New York.
Since 1948, "Russia" has joined the Crimean-Caucasian line. The liner had a total capacity of 16,595 brt.
Hull length - 182.2 m, width - 22.5 m, draft - 11.1 m. The propulsion system of the ship consisted of: six MAN diesel engines (five 8-cylinder and one 6-cylinder), six diesel generators and two electric motors. The total power of the power plant reached 15,000 hp. and full speed - 17 knots.
The liner took on board up to 730 passengers (since 1969 - 792), incl. 185 first class and luxury class. The number of the crew and service personnel reached 240-260 people.
The diesel-electric ship "Russia" was very popular among vacationers and often took on board up to 200 - 250 (and, if necessary, up to 500) additional "deck" passengers, who spent the night in sun loungers on promenade decks without their own cabins. Such passengers handed things over to the lockers.
In addition to cruise and linear flights, Odessa residents, and not only, are very fond of 2 - 3-day walks Odessa - Yalta, Odessa - Sevastopol. Over time, the venerable liner already looked old-fashioned, against the background of younger ships built in the 1960s - 1980s, but still somehow unusual, grandiose and very majestic. "Russia" sailed without an accident until the end of 1984, was decommissioned, in 1985 sold for scrap to Japan.
The tragedy with the motor ship "Bulgaria" inspired me with memories of my childhood, which passed in Odessa not far from the Marine Station. With what admiration I, like all Odessa boys, looked at the ships, almost every day docked at the port berths.
Odessa then stood on three pillars - art, medicine and the fleet.
The third whale was killed alive during the independence of Ukraine.
In 1990, the Black Sea Shipping Company (ChMP) was the largest in Europe and the third in the world. It consisted of more than 300 vessels of various classes, of which more than half were in working order. The profitability of sea transportation was almost 20%, the net foreign exchange earnings for the year were $ 0.8-1.0 billion and the net profit was $ 160 million.
On August 13, 1993, by the decree of the President of Ukraine (L.M. Kravchuk), the joint-stock shipping concern "Blasko-Black Sea Shipping Company" was established. Pavel Kudyukin was appointed president of the concern. Previously, he worked at the Northwest Black Sea Shipping Control Center. This structure is engaged in the pilotage of ships in the Black Sea. Then he headed the Forvater MP.
As an appendix to the decree, Leonid Kravchuk approved the list of enterprises included in the structure of the concern and subject to corporatization. Each division of the concern was corporatized separately and received the status of an independent legal entity... The personnel department of the concern became known as Blasko-Crewing JSC, the bunkering department - Blasko-bunker; bulk carrier fleet management - Blasko-Bulk; information management - "Blasko-inform".
The concern worked under the leadership of Pavel Kudyukin from August 1993 to September 1994. His activities attracted the attention of the deputies of the Supreme Council of Ukraine. On December 24, 1993, the Supreme Council of Ukraine vetoed the decree of the President of Ukraine on the establishment of "Blasco". Deputy Yury Karmazin explained this by the fact that Blasco's leadership "violated everything that could be violated." Leonid Kravchuk, however, did not heed the warnings of the deputies. He issued a new decree, which allowed the concern to continue its work despite the veto of the Supreme Council.
On January 27, 1994, the Supreme Council of Ukraine decided to start checking the Black Sea Shipping Company. An investigative deputy commission was created under the leadership of the former prosecutor of the Primorsky district of Odessa, Yuri Karmazin. He explained that the audit began due to the fact that the activities of the concern were suspiciously unprofitable. According to the deputy, ordinary employees of the concern did not receive a salary for 3-4 months - this has become a common practice. In addition, the audit revealed that Blasco's foreign currency accounts in Ukrainian banks were empty. All foreign currency funds of the concern were deposited in accounts in British and German banks.
The Investigative Commission found that the management of JSIC "Blasco", violating the current legislation and instructions of the National Bank of Ukraine, made decisions on illegal opening of accounts in foreign banks in order to conceal foreign exchange earnings and evade taxes. Such accounts without the corresponding licenses of the National Bank of Ukraine were opened in West German Dresdner Bank in Hamburg, Chemical Bank in Frankfurt am Main, British banks Hambros in London, Barclays in London, Royal Bank of Scotland (London) and other banks.
According to the commission, the management of the concern entered into unprofitable contracts for Ukraine on the transfer of the most profitable vessels to the management of foreign shipping companies. According to the commission, half of the 228 vessels were transferred to the disposal of foreign firms. Under most of the contracts, the company paid 200 thousand DM per year for the management of one vessel to its foreign partner, regardless of the financial result of this management.
By order of Pavel Kudyukin, from the currency accounts of the settlement center ASK "Blasko-ChMP" "Mostok" and the company "Blasko-UK" in 1993-94. about $ 2.5 million was transferred to the accounts of the West German firm "Euroconsult" for the work performed on the construction of an international business center in Kiev. This center was supposed to have a representative office of "Blasco" in Kiev. However, no such center was built. Where the money went is unknown.
In 1994, the management of the concern took out a loan in the amount of $ 81 million to repair the motor ship "Belorussia". The motor ship was repaired at German shipyards. Karmazin explained that the repair of ships at German shipyards is considered one of the most expensive in the world, so the commission considers this contract extremely unprofitable.
In September 1994, the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine dismissed Pavel Kudyukin from the post of president of JSIC "Blasko-ChMP" and dismissed him from the concern
On June 15, 1998, the Nikolaev regional court found P. Kudyukin guilty of committing crimes under Articles 80, 80-1, 86-1, 165, 166, 172 of the CC of Ukraine, and sentenced him to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property and deposits, as well as foreign exchange earnings, securities that were in foreign currency accounts with banks in Germany.
- On November 5, 1998, the Supreme Court of Ukraine upheld the verdict of the Nikolaev regional court.
In 2000, President L. Kuchma pardoned P. Kudyukin, and he was released from prison. After serving only 5 years.
Now, the sea captain is raising pigs. Not sea, of course ...
The scheme for taking the ships off the balance sheet was simple; the ships were leased to various companies, which in turn subleased the ships. Money transfers were carried out through shell banks, which, after the money were posted, "burst" like soap bubbles. So in the summer of 1994, the balance of the joint-stock shipping holding company Sea Trident, headquartered in London, or rather four groups in its structure, controlling shares shipping offshore companies (Ocean Holding International Inc., Ocean Investment International Inc., Tamworth Shipping Corp, Ocean Investment Ukraine), 72 ChMP vessels with a total value of half a billion dollars were transferred.
According to the audit of the economic activities of the Sea Trident company, carried out by the Main Control and Auditing Department of Ukraine, there were only 12 vessels on the balance of the four groups, the fate of the remaining 60 is unknown (according to rumors, 35 of them were allegedly given to reimburse the debts of the Black Sea Shipping Company).
During 1996-1997, the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine issued permission to transfer 42 more vessels to offshore companies. The ships were written off from the balance of GSK ChMP. As a result of this policy of the Ministry of Transport, as well as constantly changing heads of GSK ChMP (for 5 years - 6 managers), the third in the world's largest shipping company - Black Sea Shipping Company has practically disappeared.
22 thousand sailors now fly a foreign flag. If they come to Odessa, then either visit the family or visit.
Today the state shipping company "Black Sea Shipping Company" has only 3 vessels and 350 employees.
The disappearance of about 300 ships (with the home port of Odessa) from the list of the Black Sea Shipping Company during 1993 - 2000 is the most sad story death of the fleet.
Pavel Kudyukin served only for the destruction of the fleet, which looks more like a farce than the triumph of the Law. However, the real thieves, whose interests were served by Kudyukin, are known. They are alive and well. Only there is no political will to arrest them.
Although this is what I think. Maybe it's for the best that they sold the entire fleet. It would be much worse if these people continued to operate the ships. With their thirst for profit, there would be a lot of such tragedies as with the motor ship "Bulgaria", and who knows how many people would have died.
